Pool cleaning suction head



May 5, 1970 w. D. BOND POOL CLEANING SUCTION HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 29, 1968 INVENTOR: WILLIAM D. BOND ATTORNEY May 5, 1970 w. D. BOND POOL CLEANING SUCTION HEAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 29, 1968 INVENTOR: WILLIAM D. BOND ATTORNEY United States Patent Int. Cl. E04h 3/20 US. Cl. 15-1.7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A suction head for cleaning swimming pools by circulating water through the filter pump in which a base plate of flexible material has a central hollow boss for attachment to a suction hose from the pump and mount means for a propelling handle. Transverse elongate weights on the base plate at longitudinal intervals protrude beyond the plate at each of their ends. Rollers secured to the protruding ends space the under surface of the plate from the surface being cleaned. Base plate bossesaccept bolts which secure the weights each at two places transversely aligned on the base plate such that the plate flexes only in its elongate extent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is conventional to clean swimming pool surfaces by circulating water through a suction head connected to the water circulating pump of the pool which is passed along the surface of the pool walls and floor. Conventional swimming pools have many surface areas which are not planar. Ends and corners of suction heads which do not have flexibility in one direction tend to gouge the wall and bottom surfaces, if the heads cannot adjust to the curvatures.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have invented a unilaterally flexible suction head for cleaning swimming pools which not only adapts to pool wall and bottom surfaces, but which is also economical to fabricate and simple to maintain. The invention contemplates apparatus comprising a base plate of flexible material having longitudinal and transverse dimensions. A central aperture in the base plate connects to a suction hose receptor or hollow boss. A mounting bracket accepts a handle for propelling the base plate. A plurality of elongate weights which may be noncorroding metallic channels are secured by means fixing the weights to the plates at two transversely aligned points of the plate. The weights thereby inhibit plate flexure except longitudinally. Preferably the weights extend transversely beyond the periphery of the base plate such that spacing means such as rollers may be fastened to the protruding portions of the weights to space the under surface of the base plate from the pool surface being cleaned.

Preferably plates are attached at each longitudinal end of the base plate. Therefore, a preferred embodiment of the invention includes buffer strips extending along the upper surface of the base plate adjacent the end weights. The buffer strips prevent contact between the end metallic weights and the pool surfaces when the suction head is being used.

These and other advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description and drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly broken away, of a suction head in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing the suction head of FIG. 1 engaged with a curving surface of a swimming pool wall;

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a central transverse sectional elevation of an alternate embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 5.

In all of the figures like elements are indicated by like reference characters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. l-4 show a pool cleaning suction head 10 having a base plate 11 which is approximately four inches by twelves inches in size. The four-inch width is regarded as the transverse dimension of the base plate. The base plate has a central hollow boss 14 extending from the upper surface of the plate. A suction port 15 is defined by the boss and communicates from a bottom surface 17 of the plate.

Each short edge of the base plate has an upwardly extending buffer strip 19. The buffer strips may be integrally formed with the base plate, as may hollow boss 14. The hollow boss receives a suction hose 21 (see FIG. 3) which normaly connects to a line to the pool pump.

A handle bracket 23 is fixed by a bolt and nut assembly 24 to spaced transverse vertical flanges 25, 26, which extend from the hollow boss to a back edge 27 of the base plate. Bracket 23 is a conventional one having a semicylindrical configuration and bolt receiving apertures 28, 29. FIG. 3 shows fragmentarily a handle or pole 31 secured to the bracket and by means of which the suction head is moved about the pool wall and bottom.

The base plate has a plurality of pairs of bosses 35, 36. The pairs of bosses are aligned in transverse rows and spaced apart longitudinally of the base plate. Each boss has a vertical aperture 37 which widens at underside 17 of the base plate into a hexagonal recess 38, like those of the embodiment of FIG. 6.

Each recess 38 receives a conventional hexagonal nut 39 which threadably engages a conventional bolt 41 extending downwardly through the boss.

The nut and bolt assemblies secure to each pair of bosses 35, 36 a transverse weight such as the weights 44, 45, 46, 47. I

Four transverse weights have been shown in the embodiment of FIGS. l-4. Four such weights are optimum for a suction head having the dimensions given for the particular embodiment illustrated. More weights may be necessary, depending upon the flexibility of the base plate material and its longitudinal extent from the hollow boss and suction hose.

Each of the weights of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 has the cross-sectional configuration of an inverted channel with the web of the channel resting on the tops of the bosses 35, 36. Each weight terminates at each of its ends in spaced vertical flanges 51, 52 between which a plastic roller 53 is rotatably mounted by a pivot pin 54.. The flanges extend transversely beyond the confines of the base plate. The pivot pins orient the rollers with respect to the lower surface of the base plate such that base plate undersurface 17 is spaced the desired increment from a surface 58 of the pool being cleaned.

It is preferred that the nuts and screws 39, 41, as Well as the weights themselves be of a noncorroding material. It is therefore possible to salvage the weights and rollers should the base plate be torn or otherwise rendered useless. The weights and rollers can easily be afiixed to a new base plate at small cost.

As can be seen from FIG. 3, the transverse weights permit longitudinal flexibility of the base plate to accommodate non-planar pool surfaces. The base plate is spaced from the pool surface by the rollers such that water flow into suction port 15 is fairly uniform across the pool surface 58. Inspection of FIG. 4 will indicate how the fastening of the transverse weights to the base plate at transversely spaced points enables the weights to inhibit transverse flexure of the base plate which would disturb the space relationship between the pool surface and the underside of the base plate.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternate embodiment of the invention which differs from the embodiment of FIG. 1 only in the configuration of the undersurface of a base plate'llA. The transverse Weights 44, 45, 46, 47 of the embodiment of FIG. 5 are substantially identical to those of the previously described embodiment, as are the fastening screws and nuts which reside in the recesses 38 of the underside of the base plate.

As can be seen from 'FIGS. 5 and 6, underside 17A of base plate 11A is defined by four planar surfaces 61, 62, 73, 74. Each planar surface slopes upwardly slightly from the outer edges of the base plate to a juncture with a suction port 15 at the center of the base plate. The surfaces thus tend to define flow patterns for the water circulating upwardly through suction port 15.

I claim:

1. A suction head for pool cleaning comprising a base plate of flexible material having longitudinal and transverse dimensions, a central suction port in the base plate, suction hose receptors on the base plate connecting to the port, handle :mount means on the base plate, a plurality of elongate weights, at least two of which extend beyond the base plate in both transverse directions, means securing each weight to the base plate at two points aligned transversely of the plate so that the weights so secured inhibit base plate flexure except longitudinally, and a plurality of rollers, one roller of which is secured to each extension of a weight to space the undersurface of the base plate from the pool surface being cleaned.

2. A suction head in accordance with claim 1 wherein at least two weights extend beyond the base plate in both transverse directioins, and wherein the means adapted to space the under surface of the base plate comprises a plurality of rollers one roller of which is secured to each extension of a weight.

3. A suction head in accordance with claim 1 wherein the weights are releasably secured to the base plate such that each weight and roller assembly is removable as a unit.

4. A suction head in accordance with claim 1 further comprising upturned base plate buffer strips extending transversely of the plate at the short edges thereof parallel to the adjacent elongate weight.

5. A suction head in accordance with claim 1 further comprising upturned base buffer strips extending transversely of the plate at the short edges thereof parallel to the adjacent elongate weight, and releasable means securing to the base plate each weight and its attendant means adapted to space the undersurface of the base plate from the pool surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,141,811 12/1938 Everson l5l.7 3,102,289 9/1963 Norris l5l.7 3,273,188 9/1966 Levack l5l.7

EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 15415 

